Mycoplasma bovigenitalium
(Freundt, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. bos – the ox, bull, cow, L. pl. n. genitalia – the genitals, N.L. gen. pl. n. bovigenitalium – of bovine genitalia
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma bovigenitalium (Bovis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma californicum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.39%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG11T (cow, UK, 1947), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
2 completed (PG11 – UK; HAZ596 – Japan); one draft genome (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
oxidation of organic acids (pyruvate, lactate); non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
cattle and buffaloes, less frequently sheep and goats
Habitat
genital tract
Disease(s)
associated with reduced fertility, endometritis, granular vulvitis, occasionally pneumonia, arthritis
Pathogenicity
factors largely unknown, production of hydrogen peroxide
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence; transmission via the genital route (mating, artificial insemination, oro-genital contact)
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium PG11T within the Bovis cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T was used as out-group (Synoviae cluster). Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap confidence values (1000 replications). Only values > 80% are shown. Bar, number of substitutions per nucleotide position. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGTGATTTATCACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCCTTCAGTTTGGCATAGCGGTTGGAAACAACCGATAATTCCAAATACTCGTAGATGCCGCATGGCATTTACGGAAAAGACGCCTTAAAGCGTCGCTGGAGGAGCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCCTATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGGGAATAAAAAATAGTGTAGGAAATGCCACTATATTGAATGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAACCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAGACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGACATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGTTGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTACTAACATTCAGTTGAGCACTCTAGGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCCACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGGTACAAAGTGAAGCAACCTGGTGACAGTGAGCAAACCACAAAAAGCCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATTAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma bovigentialium PG11T (Accession number: NR_044668)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium PG11T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)